Auth0 FGA is an authorization engine. WardenAuth is a platform.
Auth0 FGA charges ~$6 per million checks — but that's just the authorization decision. To get authentication, RBAC management, multi-tenancy, audit logs, and API key management, you need Auth0's B2B auth platform ($150–2,100/mo) on top. WardenAuth bundles all of it — RBAC, ReBAC (relationship tuples), audit, multi-tenancy, API keys — into one flat-rate plan.
Overview
Auth0 FGA is the gold standard for fine-grained authorization in enterprise. It's battle-tested, has excellent SDK support, and integrates with the Okta platform.
But it's an authorization engine — not a platform. You still need Auth0 for authentication, organizations for multi-tenancy, and separate tools for audit and API key management. For startups and growing SaaS products, stitching together three Auth0 products creates unpredictable, compounding monthly invoices.
Auth0 FGA (Okta FGA) — Strengths
- OpenFGA open standard — portable, not vendor-locked
- Rich SDK ecosystem (Go, Java, .NET, Python, JS, more)
- Built-in relationship model UI
- Enterprise SLAs and compliance certifications
- On-premise / BYO-cloud deployment option
- Native relationship-based access control (ReBAC)
Auth0 FGA (Okta FGA) — Limitations
- Per-check billing compounds quickly at scale
- Production requires paid plan — 1M dev-tier free but no SLA
- Tight coupling with Okta ecosystem
- Complex relationship tuples model has a learning curve
- No built-in API key management
- No multi-tenant RBAC — must combine with Auth0 B2B
Pricing comparison
| Scenario | Auth0 FGA (Okta FGA) | WardenAuth |
|---|---|---|
| 1K MAU, 100K checks | $323/mo (B2B Essentials + FGA) | $79/mo (Starter) |
| 5K MAU, 500K checks | $1,323/mo (B2B Essentials + FGA) | $79/mo (Starter) |
| 10K MAU, 1M checks | $2,129/mo (B2B Essentials + FGA) | $79/mo (Starter) |
| 10K MAU, 10M checks | $2,400/mo (B2B Pro + FGA Pro) | $249/mo (Growth) |
| 20K MAU, 50M checks | $4,340/mo (B2B Essentials + FGA Pro) | $3,499/mo (Scale) |
Feature comparison
| Feature | Auth0 FGA (Okta FGA) | WardenAuth |
|---|---|---|
| Fine-grained RBAC | ||
| Relationship tuples (ReBAC) | ||
| Authorization engine (per-check) | ||
| Built-in audit trail (40+ events) | ||
| API key management + rotation | ||
| Multi-tenant scopes (unlimited) | Limited (5 free orgs) | |
| Deny-wins + decision reasoning | ||
| SoD / Approval workflows | ||
| Webhooks | ||
| SSO / SCIM | Separate auth product required | Included (Business+) |
| Anomaly detection | ||
| Self-hosted deployment | OpenFGA (self-managed only) | Roadmap |
| Flat-rate, predictable billing | ||
| Auth-agnostic (keep your auth) |
Which one should you choose?
Choose Auth0 if you're already an Okta shop, need the OpenFGA standard, require on-premise deployment, or have existing Okta enterprise contracts. You'll get best-in-class auth + FGA, but you'll pay for each product separately.
Choose WardenAuth if you're building a new SaaS product, running on AWS Lambda or similar serverless infra, and want predictable billing that doesn't scale with traffic. Especially compelling if you're already on AWS and want managed authorization without running a policy engine.
Auth0 FGA is a great authorization engine. But it's one piece of a three-product puzzle (auth + FGA + org management). WardenAuth gives you the full platform — RBAC, ReBAC (relationship tuples), audit trails, API key management, multi-tenancy, SoD, approvals, and SCIM — at one flat rate. If you already have auth and just need fine-grained authorization with enterprise features, WardenAuth is the simpler, more affordable choice.
See for yourself — no credit card required.